{"id":18401,"date":"2026-06-17T19:08:25","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T23:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/?p=18401"},"modified":"2026-06-17T19:20:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T23:20:19","slug":"com-june-17-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/com-june-17-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"MAID and Mental Disorder"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"18401\" class=\"elementor elementor-18401 elementor-18376\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c9dc98d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c9dc98d\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9947414\" data-id=\"9947414\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8711b41 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8711b41\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Why an Indefinite Exclusion\nIs Now Imperative<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0868846 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"0868846\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3a388b7\" data-id=\"3a388b7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0a076d5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"0a076d5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"718\" src=\"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/sites\/vivredignite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/AMAD-EN.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-18403\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/sites\/vivredignite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/AMAD-EN.png 1017w, https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/sites\/vivredignite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/AMAD-EN-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/sites\/vivredignite.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/AMAD-EN-768x575.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Screenshot from the AMAD report.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-241deeb elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"241deeb\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0905862\" data-id=\"0905862\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-16a9070 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"16a9070\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8434b2a\" data-id=\"8434b2a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4341341 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4341341\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><b><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">Montreal, June 17th, 2026<\/span><\/b><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\"> \u2013 On this 10th anniversary of the legalization of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada (Royal Assent of Bill C-14 on June 17th, 2016), the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (AMAD) is releasing a highly anticipated report, available on this page:&nbsp;<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.parl.ca\/documentviewer\/en\/45-1\/AMAD\/report-1\/\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.parl.ca\/documentviewer\/en\/45-1\/AMAD\/report-1<\/a>.<br>Its sole recommendation reads as follows:<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align:center\"><b><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">That the Government of Canada amend the Criminal Code<br><\/span><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">to indefinitely exclude persons whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness from eligibility<br> <\/span><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">for medical assistance in dying.<\/span><\/b><\/h1>\n<div><b><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\"><br><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">The Living with Dignity citizen network welcomes this recommendation, which should come as no surprise to those who have been following the work of the AMAD Committee since its creation in 2021.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">The federal committee, reconstituted in 2026 (new parliamentary cycle), is now composed of twelve Members of Parliament and five Senators. In reviewing eligibility and assessing the country\u2019s readiness for access to MAiD when a person\u2019s sole underlying medical condition is a men<i>t<\/i>al illness., it once again encountered a series of today\u2019s recommendation.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><br><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1ac1f23 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1ac1f23\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9e96a8d\" data-id=\"9e96a8d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-460e100 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"460e100\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Hitting the same wall again<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-89f8d26 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"89f8d26\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0aba19c\" data-id=\"0aba19c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0a40bbb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0a40bbb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align:justify\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">It is important\nto connect this with the committee\u2019s previous AMAD report (January 2024). A\nmajority of its members also recommended postponing the exclusion of MAID for\nmental illness, (to read the document:<\/span><span lang=\"EN-CA\"> <\/span><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;\nmso-ansi-language:EN-CA\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.parl.ca\/documentviewer\/en\/44-1\/AMAD\/report-3\">https:\/\/www.parl.ca\/documentviewer\/en\/44-1\/AMAD\/report-3<\/a>).\nThe law was then amended by Bill C-62, \u201cAn Act to amend An Act to amend the\nCriminal Code (medical assistance in dying), No. 2\u201d, to delay the availability\nof MAID where mental disorder is the sole underlying medical condition until 17\nMarch 2027.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p><p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align:justify\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">The reasons\ncited today by the AMAD Committee are largely the same as in 2024:<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p><ul style=\"margin-top:0cm\" type=\"disc\">\n <li class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">The\n     issue of irremediability: \u201c\u2026difficult, if not impossible, to<br>\n     accurately predict the long-term prognosis of a person with<br>\n     a mental disorder\u201d.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/li>\n <li class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">The\n     difficulty of distinguishing such MAID requests from suicidality.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/li>\n <li class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">The\n     lack of professional consensus.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/li>\n <li class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">The\n     impact on protecting vulnerable persons.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align:justify\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">After two\ntemporary deferrals (2024 and then 2027), it can now be acknowledged that these\nreasons for suspending the expansion of MAID access for mental illness are not\nabout to disappear. In this context, a recommendation for an indefinite exclusion\nof this eligibility appears well justified, and the Government of Canada should\nact on it.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p><p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align:justify\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">In recent weeks,\nmany voices have spoken out against the expansion of MAID to mental illness,\nincluding <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ourcommons.ca\/Content\/Committee\/451\/AMAD\/Brief\/BR14028378\/br-external\/Jointly04-e.pdf\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">16\ncurrent or former directors of Canadian university psychiatry departments<\/span><\/a><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inclusioncanada.ca\/post\/canada-s-assisted-suicide-law-has-gone-too-far\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">90\norganizations in the disability and mental health sector<\/span><\/a><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">. Since\n2023, the Government of Quebec has explicitly excluded mental disorders from\neligibility under the Act Respecting End-of-Life Care.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align:justify\">\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p><p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align:justify\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">It should be\nnoted that this new recommendation from the AMAD Committee partially aligns\nwith the most recent report on Canada by the United Nations Committee on the\nRights of Persons with Disabilities, which proposed repealing \u201cTrack 2 Medical\nAssistance in Dying, including the 2027 commencement of Track 2 MAID for\npersons whose \u201csole underlying medical condition is a mental illness\u201d.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d3b617e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d3b617e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7f3a987\" data-id=\"7f3a987\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4041461 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4041461\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-size: 19.2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\">\u2013 30 \u2013<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-86b285f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"86b285f\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a43353a\" data-id=\"a43353a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-91e2cdf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"91e2cdf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><br><\/p>\n<p><b style=\"color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 1.2em;\"><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;\nmso-ansi-language:EN-CA\">For interviews or further information:<\/span><\/b><\/p><p><span lang=\"EN-CA\" style=\"font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA\"><o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p><p><br><span style=\"font-size: 19.2px;\">Jasmin Lemieux-Lefebvre<br>Coordinator<br>Living with Dignity citizen network <br>info@vivredignite.org<\/span><br><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:info@vivredignite.org\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why an Indefinite Exclusion<br \/>\nIs Now Imperative<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScreenshot from the AMAD report.<br \/>\nMontreal, June 17th, 2026 \u2013 On this 10th anniversary of the legalization of medical assistance in dying &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[290],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18401"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18401\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18416,"href":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18401\/revisions\/18416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vivredignite.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}